


Heated Egos

by RaphaelComet



Series: Simpler Times: A Tale of Two Sisters [1]
Category: Star Fox Series
Genre: Anthro, Anthropomorphic, Court Martial, Crimzon Roses, Furry, Gen, Military, Scarlet Berets, mission, raid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25455823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaphaelComet/pseuds/RaphaelComet
Summary: It’s just another mission for Lt.Col. Carolyn Ren, an elite soldier of Corneria’s Army Crimzon Roses. Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan and Carolyn has to bear the burden of her choices. Being in command isn’t always about glory and power, and she has to learn that the hard way.
Relationships: Carolyn Ren & Elena Shaw, Carolyn Ren & Han Takahashi, Carolyn Ren & Leanne Barton, Carolyn Ren & Tara Clemmings & Judy Jackson & Vicky Valentina
Series: Simpler Times: A Tale of Two Sisters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843777





	1. Operation GIFT BASKET

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of my Simpler Times project which I wrote way back while I was still in school. A lot of the project is old and in dire need of updating, so most of it won’t be posted for a while.
> 
> All characters are my OCs.
> 
> * **NOTICE** * Story contains explicit language.  
> * **NOTICE** * Story has graphic scenes of violence throughout.

_‘Where are they? Don’t they know we have a mission briefing at three?’_

Carolyn “Frost” Ren was roaming the base’s corridors in search of her teammates. She was then a lieutenant-colonel and the leader of Team Royale, a premier Crimzon Rose team famous throughout the Cornerian military. Her team consisted of three other members: Maj. Vicky “Jester” Valentina, Capt. Tara “Bubbles” Clemmings, and Capt. Judy “Moody” Jackson.

Carolyn and the rest of Team Royale had a briefing momentarily for an upcoming mission, yet not all of the team members were in the briefing room. Carolyn was the only one in the room besides the commanding officer and his assistant. Being the team leader, she was ordered to seek out the rest of her team.

Carolyn hastily traversed down the hallways and grumbled to herself. “Why aren’t they picking up their phones?” she said to herself while looking at her phone. Suddenly, a notification popped up on her social media app, signaling that one of her teammates had posted something. She rarely used it and only had it on her phone to keep tabs on her teammates. Curious, she opened it up and immediately went red in the face with anger. The post was a picture of Tara by the poolside with a cheeky caption underneath it. It was posted just moments ago which made Carolyn nearly yell out in frustration. She pocketed her phone and hurried to her car, driving straight to the base pool.

At the base pool, Tara stretched out on her recliner and placed her arms behind her head. She and Judy were in their bikinis, relaxing carefree by the poolside. About a couple minutes into their nap, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

Tara opened her eyes and confronted the person. “Hey hey hey! You’re blocking the sun!” she said, not knowing who she was talking to at first. The glare from the sun obscured the figure’s image.

“What are you two doing here?” asked Carolyn through gritted teeth, annoyed that she found Tara and Judy by the poolside.

“What are you talking about?” asked Tara, lowering her sunglasses which got rid of the glare that obscured her view. She then shrieked as she saw a furious and short-tempered Carolyn in front of her.

“Don’t you know we have mission briefing at fifteen hundred!?” said Carolyn as she put her hands on her hips. “Yet I find you here… at the pool! How do you think showing up late to these important briefings reflects on our reputation? Our superiors are always scrutinizing us, especially us since we’re part of the elite, and we should act as such. Remember that.”

“Isn’t that meeting supposed to be later at eighteen hundred hours?” asked Judy, sitting up on her pool recliner next to Tara.

“New intel has moved up the operation date. We’re supposed to be briefed on the mission now. Didn’t you get the memo?” asked Carolyn, raising her eyebrow.

“Nope. Haven’t been back to the room since we checked this morning,” said Tara.

“But what about your phones? I’ve been trying to call you,” said Carolyn.

“Must’ve accidentally left them at the room,” said Tara with a nonchalant shrug.

Carolyn calmed down, a bit understanding of the miscommunication. “Well hurry up and get ready,” she said before sneering and scolding her two forgetful subordinates. “We’ll discuss this later. Just make haste and meet the rest of us at the briefing room.”

Tara and Judy acknowledged with a nervous smile and gathered their things. “Uh, roger that, Frost. We’ll get right on it,” said Tara.

Before they left, Carolyn looked to them and asked, “By the way, have you seen Jester? She wasn’t at the meeting either.”

“I think she’s in the knife range,” said Tara before hurrying off to get changed.

Carolyn hurried back to her car and made her way over to the practice area to retrieve the final member. When she arrived, she found Vicky at the far stall of the knife-throwing range, refining her skills with the throwing knife.

“Jester… why aren’t you at the briefing room?” asked Carolyn as she approached her.

“What for? The briefing isn’t till six, right?” said Vicky before readying another knife to throw.

“Not anymore. I guess you didn’t get the memo either,” said Carolyn before exhaling with irritation. “We have new intel about the mission. Our analysts want to push forward the mission execution date as a result. So, make haste and follow me. We’ll discuss why you didn’t answer your phone after the briefing.”

Vicky was about to back sass Carolyn but held her tongue since she was late for the meeting. She quickly gathered her knives and followed Carolyn back to her car, heading back to the briefing room together.

When they arrived, Tara and Judy had already changed into their uniforms and were waiting in the front row. Also in attendance was another highly prestigious Crimzon Rose team, Team Solace, which consisted of five members: Lt. Col. Elena “Bones” Shaw and three other members who went by the callsigns Prowl, Fluke, and Edge. Standing at the head of the room in front of a projection screen were Brigadier General Tole and his assistant, Major Forbes, a Delta Force operator.

“Lieutenant-Colonel Ren, arriving twenty minutes late for a briefing is quite unprofessional, especially for an officer of your caliber. We can’t afford to waste time, so please take your seats immediately,” said Tole as Carolyn and Vicky entered the room.

“My apologies, sir. There was some miscommunication regarding the meeting time,” said Carolyn.

“Leave it to the _Ice Queen_ to keep us waiting. We all managed to get here on time,” said Bones, Team Solace’s commanding officer and Carolyn’s rival.

Carolyn glared at her and moved to her seat along with the rest of her team. “Can it, _Snowy_. I’ll deal with you later,” she said quietly.

Tole looked around the room and made sure every who was supposed to be in attendance was there. “Good. Now that we’re all present, we can start,” he said as he moved to the side of the screen to begin the briefing. “As you ladies know, we’ve been working closely with the CIN to track the whereabouts of Geoff Hammerstein, a notorious crime boss on CIN’s Most Wanted list, number five to be exact. For years, he’s been in hiding, conducting business through proxies and indirect means of communication. Luckily, intel was able to get a fix on him and intercepted a transmission. We’ve not been able to get visual confirmation on the target yet, but our sources say he’ll most likely be at his main villa two days from now in celebration of his birthday. Your mission… is to assassinate Geoff Hammerstein. Major Forbes will explain the specifics.”

Tole stepped aside and let his assistant take over for the remainder of the briefing. “Thank you, General. A covert incursion is the most reasonable plan of action for this mission. With this approach, you can ID the target and get confirmation once he’s been dispatched,” said Forbes, but before he could continue, Carolyn raised her hand, feeling a bit perturbed about some of the intelligence. “Yes, ma’am?” he said, motioning for her to speak.

“Intel said that he would ‘most likely’ be there. Is that the best we can do? What if he isn’t there?” asked Carolyn.

“CIN also acknowledges that the lack of a sufficient guarantee is unnerving, but we have to make do with what we have,” said Forbes as he looked back to the briefing screen. “However, in the event that the target isn’t present, they’ve set up a secondary objective for you to carry out instead. CIN has reason to believe that there are certain files regarding the locations of all of Hammerstein’s operations and key personnel in his main office. They also believe that the computer isn’t hooked up to any networks, so manual extraction is the only way to obtain said files. Those files are vital to the overall eradication of his drug syndicate.”

“So, what’s our POA?” asked Bones.

Forbes chuckled and explained how the raid was going to happen. “Our sources tell us that he had his men order some exotic dancers for the party,” he said. Immediately after he said that, a look of apprehension appeared on all of the Roses’ faces.

“I can see where this is going,” said Vicky with an unenthusiastic sigh.

“We’ve intercepted the order and know where the girls are going to come from. Instead of them, you’ll be in disguise and take their place at the party. Hammerstein’s second-in-command ordered them using the codename ‘Sir Gold’. Be sure to remember that when approaching the villa,” said Forbes as he pulled up a map of Hammerstein’s villa. “Lieutenant-Colonel Ren’s Team Royale and Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw’s Team Solace will be working as one unified unit. A couple of undercover Deltas, including me, will escort you to the compound in a truck, but we will not be assisting in the actual raid. Once we drop you off, and make sure you’re in, we’ll fall back to provide recon support.”

“What about our gear? I don’t think it’d be normal for exotic dancers to be packing heat,” said Tara.

“Your weapons, uniforms, and supplies will be hidden in trunks that will contain your ‘costumes and make-up’. The Deltas will load the equipment into the dressing room while Lieutenant-Colonel Ren takes care of the rest of you,” said Forbes.

“What do you mean by ‘ _takes care of the rest of you_ ’?” asked Bones.

“Lieutenant-Colonel Ren will be posing as ‘Madam Monique’, the mistress in charge of the dancers. She’ll also be the commanding officer on the mission, so she’s in charge. Think you can handle it, colonel?” said the general as he looked to Carolyn.

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” said Carolyn.

Forbes continued on and explained the rest of the mission. “Once you’ve been granted time to change in private, you’ll gear up and proceed with the mission. Deltas have a jammer set up in the truck you’ll be riding in, so make sure to activate it before you begin. The remote to switch it on is in the trunks. Your weapons will also be equipped with suppressors, so that should help keep things quiet for a while. From the changing room, proceed into the villa and covertly search for the target. Another thing, your HUDs have already been programmed with the compound’s layout, so you can thank the intel guys later.”

“For such a large operation, shouldn’t more personnel be allocated to the mission? Only ten Roses and a few Deltas?” asked Carolyn.

“We would’ve gone with the massive show-of-force approach, except that they can see us coming from miles away. We can’t afford to alert them of our arrival, so a small, covert unit was the only option. Once inside, Lieutenant-Colonel Ren will meet with Hammerstein to get a positive ID, and once she does, she’ll give the rest of the team the green light,” said Forbes before the Roses started to murmur amongst themselves, talking about the aspects of the mission.

Tole then stepped up to address the room. “Are there any questions? No? Departure for the club commences at eighteen hundred hours on Friday. Bring any weapons and gear you want for the mission to the quartermaster by COB today. They’ll add the suppressors and get them stashed away in the trunks. That is all, you’re dismissed,” he said. Everyone in the room got up and stood at attention, waiting for the highest-ranking officer to leave the room. After Tole and Forbes left, Carolyn and the others stood at ease.

“Looks like it’s going to be one hell of a mission. Think your team can handle it?” said Bones as she turned to Carolyn, giving her a mocking snicker.

“My team is more than up to the challenge. You just better not slow us down once we begin,” said Carolyn with a haughty grin.

“Always with the air of superiority. Typical _Ice Queen_ for ya. Well, good luck out there. A lot of people are depending on us to get this done right,” said Bones as she patted Carolyn on the shoulder.

“Same to you. I’m sure we’ll be fine. We’re the best Crimzon Rose teams for a reason,” said Carolyn. The two gave each other a nod then left with their teams to get ready for the mission.

#

During the two days before the mission, the two teams practiced raid maneuvers and got familiarized with the villa’s layout at another base. They made sure they had their timing down and knew where all the important rooms were. After conducting so many rehearsals, the Roses just about had their routes memorized.

When it came time for the mission, Carolyn and the others returned to the base closest to the mission objective and readied themselves. Dressed in their disguises, they met at the motorpool and piled into a civilian van procured just for the mission. Carolyn was dressed in naughty businesswoman’s attire, since she was the dancers’ handler, while the others were in typical, revealing clothing exotic dancer usually wore. Another team had already taken care of the original group of exotic dancers, so all Carolyn and her teammates had to do was take their place at the villa. After driving for around an hour, the Roses were on approach to Hammerstein’s villa.

“All right, girls, ETA to compound, five minutes,” said Forbes who was driving the truck.

“Those scanty clothes really suit you,” said Carolyn with a mocking smirk, turning around to get a better look at Bones in the rear passenger compartment.

“Pfft… Just make sure you play your part. A cold-hearted slave driver fits your personality perfectly,” said Bones as she returned the jest.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I kinda like these clothes. I gotta ask the support guys where they get em’,” said Tara out of the blue, causing everyone to give her a peculiar look and wonder if she was serious. “What? Was it something I said?”

The truck continued onward down the road and came to a roadblock before the main compound. The guards all had illegal automatic weapons and body armor on them. They also had a machine gun nest off to the side with its sights trained on the truck, should anything suspicious occur.

One of the guards approached the driver-side window while the others circled the vehicle. “What ‘av we gaut ‘ere?” he asked as he looked to the driver.

“Performers for ‘Sir Gold’s’ party,” said Carolyn from the front passenger seat.

“Mind if we ‘av a look at the goods? The lads also need to check da truck before ah let ya through,” said the guard.

“Sure thing. Just don’t take too long. ‘Sir Gold’ wouldn’t want to be kept waiting on his big day,” said Carolyn, feigning a hospitable smile as she got out of the truck. She then made her way to the back with the guard and opened up the doors, getting the girls to line up outside. “C’mon you skanks! Move it out!” She gave a crack of her whip to assert her authority, something the real Madam Monique did.

“Oh, you’re gonna pay for this,” said Bones under her breath as Carolyn forcefully pulled her out of the truck.

“Quite the selection there,” said another guard as he looked the Roses over. He moved closer to Vicky and started to grope her; however, she twitched and headbutted him away from her. “Bloody ‘ell! She hit me!” said the guard as he held his head. He drew out his pistol and was about to fire, but Carolyn swiftly intervened and stopped him.

“My client wishes for his girls to be in tip-top condition… and preferable alive,” said Carolyn as she came up behind Vicky and began caressing her cheek with her hand. “I was told my client is quite fond of… Yolanda, here.” Carolyn couldn’t see it, but Vicky was rolling her eyes at that.

The guard gave Carolyn an irritated look and holstered his weapon. “You best be gettin’ these bitches under control,” he said before walking off.

Carolyn walked around in front of Vicky then slapped her across the face. “That is coming out of your pay,” she said, eyeing her with an irritated look, almost as if to tell her not to cause any unnecessary trouble. Vicky just glared back at her but remained silent.

Suddenly, another guard called Carolyn into the truck as he inspected the interior. “Madam Monique, what’s in the trunks?” he asked.

“Extra costumes and makeup for the girls,” said Carolyn as she went over beside him.

“They seem kinda heavy,” said the guard, picking one up.

Carolyn was starting to get a bit nervous and had to think on her toes. “Most of it is for role-playing,” she said, saying the first thing that came to mind.

“Oh… role-playing. Nice,” said the guard as he opened the trunk, seeing a bunch of costumes and items pertaining to role-playing within. “This is going to be one hell of a party.” He then closed the trunk and placed it back where he found it. “You’re good to go. I look forward to seeing your girls in action, Madam.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see them all right,” said Carolyn with a smirk. She followed the guard out of the truck and ordered the girls back in, making her way back to the front after shutting the doors. After the guards returned to their posts, they opened the gate and the van through. Once inside, Forbes followed the guards’ directions and parked around back, away from the main party. Carolyn, Forbes, and another Delta got out of the vehicle and started unloading the trunks.

While they were doing that, a mafia lieutenant named Lupo approached them and welcomed them to the compound. He was dressed in a sleazy dark-purple suit and carried a submachine gun. “You Madam Monique?” he asked, approaching Carolyn.

“Indeed I am,” said Carolyn as she looked to him.

“Follow me. I’ll show you to your dressing room,” said Lupo.

Carolyn motioned for the Roses to follow her along with Forbes and the other Delta carrying the trunks. When they arrived at the room, the Deltas dropped off the trunks and headed back to the van. After they left, the Roses got situated in and started pretending to get ready for the show.

“We’re not ready to have you all out yet, so wait here till we get you,” said Lupo.

“Before you leave, tell me- has the man of the hour arrived yet?” asked Carolyn.

“In fact, he has, and he’s very eager to… _meet_ you all,” said Lupo as he gazed lustfully at all the Roses.

“Perfect. Can you do us a favor? Give them ten minutes alone to, you know… warm up and get ready before the show,” said Carolyn, giving him a sultry look.

“Sure. Maybe I can… get a sneak peek while I’m at it,” asked Lupo as he stepped closer to Carolyn.

Carolyn smiled then placed a hand on Lupo’s chest to prevent him from getting too close to her. “Sorry, Handsome, but we don’t want to spoil the show for you. It’s supposed to be a surprise,” she said.

“All right. They’ve got ten minutes. They just better be ready when I come back for them,” said Lupo. “The boss would also like to meet with you personally before the show, so if you would please- follow me. I’d bring you to him.”

“That would be lovely,” said Carolyn, giving Bones a discrete look before shutting the door as they left.

Immediately after Carolyn and Lupo left, Bones rushed to the door and peeked outside into the hallway to see if anyone was around. Thankfully, there were no guards stationed there, so she shut the door and locked it.

“Okay, girls, we’ve got five minutes to gear up,” said Bones as she started to undress. The other Roses had already opened the trunks and were getting their mission equipment ready.

“That guy was a dick,” said Tara as she fastened her boots.

“Yeah, hope we get to kill him when we begin the operation,” said Judy as she checked her suppressed assault rifle.

While the other Roses were preparing themselves, Carolyn was being escorted by Lupo to the main area of the villa, the place where the party was being held.

“And here we are, the grand atrium,” said Lupo, opening a set of double doors. “The boss is right this way.”

Carolyn eagerly followed behind him, waiting to get a confirmation on the target. “Nice place he’s got here,” she said, continuing to keep up her disguise.

“Indeed, it is,” said Lupo as he led her to the head table and introduced her to the boss himself. “Sir, this is Madame Monique. She brought some of her finest dancers to entertain you in honor of your birthday,” he said, looking from the boss to Carolyn, “Madam Monique, this is Boss Hammerstein.”

“Such a lovely lady. I’m Geoff Hammerstein, but you can call me Geoff,” said Hammerstein, kissing Carolyn’s hand.

“A pleasure to meet you, sir,” said Carolyn.

“Will you be performing as well?” asked Hammerstein.

“I will, but only for you. I’m your personal dancer on this special occasion,” said Carolyn.

Lupo looked at his watch and interrupted. “Sir, it’s time for the festivities to begin. Shall I bring out the dancers now?” he asked. Hammerstein gave him the go ahead with a slight movement of the hand. He gave a nod then excused himself, escorting Carolyn back to the dressing room.

“Your boss seems like a nice man. I hope that we can continue business with each other,” said Carolyn as they approached the dressing room.

“Don’t worry. I think we’ll be calling you all again soon enough,” said Lupo as he opened the door. Just as he did, Tara pulled him in and slit his throat with her tanto while Judy shut the door.

“Status report,” said Carolyn as she started to undress, unaffected by the death of Lupo at the hands of her teammates. The other Roses had her gear organized and already out of the trunks, ready for her arrival.

“We’re all geared up and awaiting further orders,” said Bones as she walked over to Carolyn. “So, what’s the news?

“It’s him. He’s here. I met him personally,” said Carolyn, adjusting her tac-vest over her uniform. “Moody, activate the jammer. Bones, you and your team provide rear support while my team spearheads the way to the main atrium.” She then tapped her headset and switched to a secure line. “Anything going on outside, Tourist?”

Forbes and the other Delta, who went by the callsign Tourist, were parked half a mile away from the complex and situated on top of a hill, providing logistical support. “That’s a negative. Wait a second- Standby… contacts! We have incoming! A motorcade consisting of five SUVs passing through the checkpoint!” said Tourist.

“What!? Are they on to us!?” asked Carolyn.

“Hold on- I don’t think so. The compound security is still carrying on like normal and there isn’t any chatter over the comms. The SUVs stopped and are unloading men. They seem to be armed and guarding something, or someone. Standby,” said Tourist as he adjusted his binoculars. “Frost, we have confirmation that Antonio Veras is present at your location, CIN’s number seven man.”

“Are you sure? What about his personal bodyguard?” asked Carolyn.

“Positive, ma’am. Around thirty fully armed and armored bodyguards accompanying Veras,” said Tourist.

Carolyn was in deep thought, adding in the new variables and planning a new plan of action. _‘Thirty… that is way more firepower we’re up against than we had planned,’_ she thought. Suddenly, she got another urgent call from Tourist.

“Frost, HQ has been notified of the alteration and is ordering you to stand down and abort the mission,” said Tourist.

“Abort!? But we’re so close to the target. I’ve even made contact myself,” said Carolyn, irritated at the fact that her superiors would even consider aborting the mission.

“There’s nothing I can do, ma’am. General Tole has ordered it himself,” said Tourist.

“Frost… we don’t have all day. Their security systems and communications are being jammed and we just killed one of their lieutenants. They’re going to catch on soon if we don’t hurry,” said Bones.

Carolyn’s stress levels were rapidly increasing as she tried to decide on what to do. After a few brief moments of contemplation, she exhaled and looked to Bones. “We continue with the mission,” she said. Unexpectedly, she heard another voice through her comms.

“This is Tole. I’m giving you a direct order to stand down and abort, Colonel. Do it or you’ll be severely reprimanded,” said General Tole.

“Sorry, sir, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up. Over and out,” said Carolyn before closing the channel.

Carolyn then turned to the rest of her team and briefed them about the situation. She didn’t tell them that she was ordered to abort the mission because if she did, they’d most certainly would not want her to continue. There was no way she could abort the mission. She’d always completed the missions given to her, and that was what she was going to do.

“But we’re not prepared for a frontal assault. We should pull out now while we’re still undetected. You know, try again another time,” said Vicky in a concerned tone.

“It’s now or never, Shots. If we retreat now, they’ll find out something was up, and he will go back into hiding… for good. He’s here and we have to take him out now,” said Carolyn, looking to Bones for support.

“You’re the boss. We’ll follow whatever plan of action you decide to take,” said Bones.

Vicky scowled and was about to interject, but Carolyn cut her off and started giving orders. “Bones, you and the rest of Team Solace head to the front and hold off the reinforcements. Try and take out Veras if you can, but your primary objective is to cause a distraction. My team will continue into the compound to take out Hammerstein,” she said.

“Roger that,” said Bones before directing her team.

“All right, let’s go. Bubbles, you’ve got point,” said Carolyn as she opened the door into the villa.

Tara nodded and took the lead with Carolyn right behind her, telling them where to go. Tara had her tanto in one hand and her suppressed sidearm in the other. Judy and Vicky picked up the rear, keeping an eye on their flanks. Judy was using her twin Grammaton sidearms while Vicky just had her suppressed rifle at the ready.

Bones gave Carolyn a nod and went in the opposite direction towards the front of the villa. Outside by the villa’s entrance, Hammerstein’s men were greeting Veras as he arrived unexpectedly. While that was happening, Team Solace was positioning themselves to launch a surprise attack on them while Team Royale continued inside the villa.

“This is Bones. We’re in position to commence our attack,” said Bones as she contacted Carolyn over the comms.

“Roger that. Be careful,” said Carolyn after tapping the headset’s push-to-talk button.

Bones switched comms channels and took out a pair of binoculars to spot Veras. “Prowl, I’ve got eyes on target,” she said, taking cover behind a small wall.

Prowl moved over to Bones and rested her rifle up on the ledge, flipping up the lens cap and peering through the scope. “Where, ma’am?” she asked.

“By the second SUV from your left,” said Bones.

Prowl followed Bones’ directions and spotted the target through her scope. “Target in sight. Permission to fire?” she asked.

Bones gave the go ahead, but just as Prowl was about to fire, there was loud crack in the distance. Before Bones and the others could determine where the shot came from, Prowl was flat on her back with a giant hole in her head.

“Sniper!” said Edge as she tackled Bones out of the way, a second shot being heard in the distance.

“Are you all right?” asked Bones as she scrambled to get into cover. The rest of her team followed suit and immediately took cover.

“I’ve been hit, but it’s not fatal,” said Edge.

“Damn. Did anyone see where that shot came from!?” asked Bones.

“I don’t know exactly where it came from, but I noticed a tall tower to the north. I’m guessing that’s where the sniper is,” said Edge as she tended to her wound. Suddenly, other weapons started firing towards her. Veras’ men spotted her team and kept them pinned down in their position.

Inside the main complex, Carolyn and her team continued to the main atrium. They were making good progress as the commotion at the front drew away most of the guards inside.

“Eat this!” said Tara as she impaled a guard in the stomach with her tanto, finishing him off with a shot to the head using her sidearm. A door next to them opened, and a guard stepped through only to be put down by a single shot to the head from Judy.

As they traversed through the villa, Carolyn briefed her team on what she saw up ahead. “When we get to the main atrium, Hammerstein is fifteen paces to the right at the main table. They’re around fifteen armed guards inside, five of which are immediately around Hammerstein,” she said, keeping alert as they moved. “There are also lots of non-combatants around, so watch your fire. They may be neutral at the moment, but the second they decide to become hostile and pick up a weapon, drop ‘em.”

When they arrived at their destination, Team Royale stacked up on the set of double doors leading into the main atrium and halted. Carolyn readied her rifle and looked to her team. “This is it, the main atrium. We go on my signal,” she said. She saw her teammates acknowledge with a nod as they themselves as well. She took a deep breath, and was about to kick open the double doors, until she was interrupted by Bones over the comms.

“This is Team Solace. We’ve engaged the enemy and are taking heavy fire. Prowl is KIA and Fluke’s been hit, but it’s not fatal. I hope you’re having better luck than we are,” said Bones.

Carolyn was disheartened to hear the about the casualties, especially since it was her call that got them killed, but she tried to remain focused on the mission so their sacrifice wouldn’t have been in vain. “Roger that. We’re about to make entry into the main compound,” she said before kicking open the double doors.

Team Royale rushed through and scanned the room for targets. Immediately after spotting a hostile, they fired two shots to the head and moved on to the next target. Everyone in the room was caught off guard, so the team was able to down most of the guards out in the open. The four Roses hurried through the panicking crowd towards Hammerstein.

“That’s him! He’s headed for the staircase!” said Carolyn, pointing towards Hammerstein.

Hammerstein hid behind his guards to avoid getting shot. “STOP THEM!” he said, gesturing towards them with his pistol in hand.

Carolyn and the rest of her team dove for cover and returned fire. At that moment, more guards entered the room and joined the fight.

“He’s getting away!” said Vicky.

Carolyn watched as Hammerstein made his way to the upper floor. “Damn it! Bubbles, Moody- pursue the target at all costs. We’ll try and complete the secondary objective after we cover you,” she said.

“Roger that, Frost! We won’t let you down!” said Tara, leaping over a couch with Judy. They rushed for the staircase while the rest of the team took out the guards in front of them.

“Good luck you, guys,” said Carolyn over the comms.

“You’re spreading us too thin! The assault on the main objective was meant for a team of eight, not four. And for what!? To complete a secondary objective!?” said Vicky, skeptical about Carolyn’s plan of action.

“Stow it, Jester! Are you a Crimzon Rose or not!?” said Carolyn in frustration, firing three more shots at the enemy. “I’ve always completed every objective given to me, be it secondary or even tertiary! If there’s a task that needs doing, we will do it! That’s why we’re the elite, because we _accomplish_ our missions, not just _complete_ them, and this mission is no different.”

Vicky finally got fed up with Carolyn’s way of doing things and confronted her. “I’ve had it with you and your maverick methods! Sights would’ve never approved of-” she said, but before she could continue, Carolyn cut her off.

“Sights is not in command here- I am! If you have a problem with the way I do things, you can ask for a transfer once we’re done. But right now, we have a mission to do, so suck it up and fire your weapon, soldier!” said Carolyn as a bullet ricocheted near her position.

Vicky was about to shout back, but then she got a call through her comms. “I just got word from Bubbles. She and Moody need our help ASAP!” she said.

“Damn it. We need to get to them, now!” said Carolyn.

“But we can’t! We’re pinned down. There’s no way we can move from this position,” said Vicky after assessing the situation. “What about Bones and the others? Can they provide assistance somehow?”

“I haven’t heard from them. I can’t get in contact,” said Carolyn as she tried to hail them over the comms. Cursing to herself, she quickly tried to come up with an alternative plan to get to Tara and Judy. “Jester, I’ll take out the threat on the upper floor. You take the two on the bottom. Sprint for the stairs afterwards. Ready?”

Vicky was hesitant about the assault and tried to make Carolyn reconsider. “Frost-” she said, but Carolyn disregarded her and went anyway.

“All right, let’s go!” said Carolyn, readying a grenade.

“Frost!” said Vicky as she stumbled to take out her assigned targets.

Carolyn got up from cover and armed her grenade. “Frag out!” she said, throwing it through the window and into the room the guards were hiding in.

Vicky swiftly took out her two targets then joined Carolyn as they sprinted for the staircase. The two of them advanced cautiously but with haste to rendezvous with Tara and Judy whose statuses were unknown. Carolyn was on point with Vicky right behind her.

Suddenly, Carolyn got a call from Tourist. “Mission control has sent a dropship to exfiltrate you and your team. It’ll be at our location in fifteen minutes. Did you hear that, Frost? You better get the rest of your team out of there,” he said.

“Roger that. We’ll be there,” said Carolyn before looking back to Vicky. “We need to hurry. Bubbles and Moody still need our help.”

Dead hostiles littered the path they were following inside the villa. Up ahead, they heard gunfire, so they knew they were closing in on their teammates. After coming to the end of a hallway, they saw Tara taking cover behind some crates and firing her weapon. Carolyn and Vicky entered the large storage room and hurried to her position. When they took cover next to her, they noticed Judy’s motionless body propped against the crates next to her.

“Bubbles, status,” said Carolyn as she opened fire on the nearest enemy.

“The target escaped through the passageway into his panic room. He had guards already waiting for him when we arrived. Moody and I rushed in but were forced to fall back. Moody caught a burst of rifle fire in her chest. She’s dead, Frost…,” said Tara, her voice monotone.

Carolyn cursed to herself as she laid her hand on Judy’s lifeless body. “I’m- I’m sorry,” she said, not wanting to let her emotions get in the way of the mission.

Vicky armed a grenade and tossed it towards the enemy, finishing off the remainder of Hammerstein’s guards in the room. “All clear, Frost,” she said after scanning the room for hostiles.

Carolyn and Vicky approached the blast door while Tara watched their flank. “It’s over. He escaped. There’s no way into the panic room with the gear we have,” said Carolyn, banging the door with her fist.

“There’s nothing more we can do. We need to rendezvous with what’s left of Team Solace and await evac,” said Vicky.

Carolyn moved away from the door, pacing around the room. “But we can still get the files. All we have to do is just-” she said, but before she could finish her sentence, Vicky walked up to her and punched her square in the jaw.

“You just don’t get. Hammerstein escape,” said Vicky as she glared at Carolyn. “Two of our sisters are dead! Can’t you see that the mission is a failure? It’s over!”

Carolyn fell to her hands and knees, staring blankly at the ground as she tried to pull herself together. “I’ve… failed…,” she said.

“That’s right. You’ve failed. Your proud ego got your fellow teammates- your friends… killed,” said Vicky, looking down at Carolyn with a look of pity. She then noticed drips of water on the ground beneath her.

“I’m sorry… for everything…,” said Carolyn as she continued to cry.

Vicky shook her head and outstretched her hand to help Carolyn to her feet. “But we’re still alive, and right now, the only thing we need to do is get to that dropship,” she said.

Carolyn looked up with teary eyes and grabbed Vicky’s hand. “…okay,” she said, barely able to get out those words.

Vicky helped Carolyn up and handed her her rifle. “Just try and concentrate on getting the rest of us out of here alive,” she said, readying her own rifle.

“So even an ‘Ice Queen’ can cry,” said Tara, picking up Judy’s body and carrying it over her shoulder.

Carolyn got on the comms and tried to contact Bones outside. “Bones? Do you read? We’re making our way outside. What is your location? Come in,” she said, but there was no response.

Unfortunately, Bones and the rest of Team Solace had been overrun be the enemy outside. Hammerstein’s and Veras’ men had closed in on their position and were mopping up the area.

“If she ain’t dead, she is now,” said one of Veras’ guards as he shot a round into Fluke’s head.

One of the other men kicked a downed body to see if it was still alive. To their surprise, the body twitched and began to move, breathing faintly as she opened her eyes. “Got a live one,” he said as he drew his sidearm.

“Holster that sidearm,” said Veras as he began walking over.

The guard looked to Veras then holstered his weapon, stepping aside and glancing down at the dying Rose. “You’re gonna wish I’d finished you off,” he said under his breath.

Veras smiled and knelt down beside the downed Crimzon Rose. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing here, but I can assure you- your stay won’t be a pleasant one,” he said.

The wounded Rose coughed up some blood and flicked him off. “Blow me…,” she said with a weak smile. One of the guards was about to shoot her, but Veras stopped him.

“No, I need her alive. We need to make an example of her and show the government what happens when they mess with the Veras Family,” said Veras. He then motioned for his men to apprehend the captive and exhaled a cloud of smoke from his cigar before standing back up.

As that was happening, Carolyn and the remainder of her team were hurrying towards the extraction point. “I can’t get in contact with Bones,” said Carolyn.

“Maybe there’s interference,” said Vicky.

“Frost, we need to take the next right. It should bring us to the main entrance,” said Tara.

“Roger. Jester, take point,” said Carolyn as she took Tara’s suggestion. Once they turned the corner at the end of the hallway, she had a feeling in her gut that something was wrong. She scanned the hallway for enemies or anything out of the ordinary. Then it happened. Immediately, her heart sank as she heard the ominous sound of a claymore arming. “Claymore!” She said as she tackled Vicky in front of her.

Unfortunately, Tara was in the rear and also encumbered by Judy’s body. After the explosion happened and the dust had cleared, Carolyn got up to check on her team. She saw that Vicky was all right but couldn’t spot Tara. She then saw a tanto stuck into the wall with a hand grasping it.

Carolyn hurried over and dove just as Tara lost hold of her blade, barely able to grab her by the fingers. “I’ve got you! Don’t let go!” she said as she tried to lift Tara up with all her might.

“I can’t feel my legs… or anything else for that matter,” said Tara before coughing up blood.

Suddenly, Vicky spotted more guards at the end of the hallway. “Contacts!” she said, opening fire.

Just as Carolyn looked up, she lost hold of Tara as her hand slipped out of her glove. “Tara!” she said, realizing that she’d slipped out of her grasp. The last thing she saw was Tara plummeting into the darkness below followed by a loud thud.

“Hurry! Out the window!” said Vicky, grabbing Carolyn by the arm. The they then burst through a nearby window and landed outside on an awning.

“What about Tara!?” said Carolyn.

“She’s dead, Frost. There’s nothing more we can do,” said Vicky as she saw the dropship approach and begin to land at the compound’s entrance. “The dropship is here. We have to go!” She pushed Carolyn forward towards the edge of the awning to get her moving.

The two of them jumped down and made a mad dash across the main courtyard, sprinting with all the strength they had left. Tourist and Forbes were on the dropship and covered Carolyn and Vicky as they ran. Carolyn arrived first, and just as she turned around to assist Vicky, she heard the crack of a sniper rifle in the distance. The next thing she saw was Vicky plummeting to the ground with a stunned expression on her face. She and Forbes rushed out and carried Vicky’s limp body the rest of the way to the dropship. They got her into the personnel hold and signaled the pilot to take off. Carolyn hurried and grabbed a first aid kit off the wall to tend to her wound.

“How does it look?” asked Forbes, looking over Carolyn’s shoulder.

“Not good. She was hit by a high-caliber round,” said Carolyn as her basic first-aid training kicked in. “Any word from Team Solace?”

Forbes shook his head. “I’m afraid not. We’re going to have to assume that they’re KIA,” he said.

Carolyn looked away, speechless about everything that had happened in the past couple hours- the failure of the mission, the deaths of her teammates. She couldn’t handle it. “I’m sorry…,” she said to Vicky right before collapsing from the shock.


	2. Lake Clearwater

_Several years ago…_

Carolyn straightened out her uniform before stepping off the public transport onto the platform, toting a duffel bag filled with all her uniform items and a backpack that had her personal effects. She’d just arrived at the base she was told to report to after completing Field Training. Looking around, she spotted a security checkpoint that was manned by two security forces personnel. They were both armed with assault rifles and stood on either side of the gate.

Carolyn was a seventeen-year old Cornerian prodigy, fresh out of Field Training. She was currently on her way to further her training as an Army Scarlet Beret during her apprenticeship year. The Scarlet Berets was an all-female elite infantry unit and their counterpart was the Rangers, an all-male elite infantry unit.

After readjusting the duffel bag slung over her shoulder, Carolyn made her way towards the security checkpoint that led into the adjacent army base. She walked up to it and was promptly greeted by one of the security personnel.

“Good afternoon,” said one of the gate guards.

“Good afternoon,” said Carolyn, handing over her ID card.

The guard took the ID card and scanned it on his hand-held device. “Hmm, another Scarlet trainee,” he said, observing Carolyn’s file as it came up on the screen. “Well, you’re in the right place. Just take the bus to the spaceport terminal and head on through the main lobby. Then head right and follow the signs towards Gate-4E. The rest of your fellow trainees should be there.”

“Thank you,” said Carolyn as she took back her ID and placed it back in her wallet.

Carolyn walked through the security checkpoint and crossed a small bridge to get to the bus stop. She didn’t have to wait long before a bus came to bring her across base. She got onboard and took a seat until she arrived at the base’s spaceport terminal. Looking out the window, she exhaled and tried to imagine how her training was going to be like. She’d done some research on her own, but she still wondered.

Arriving at the spaceport terminal, she got off and entered the main lobby, turning right like the gate guard had told her to. The corridors were busy with activity. Enlisted and officers alike were making their way around the building, carrying out their day-to-day duties. Almost all of them were in their regular uniforms, which made Carolyn feel out of place since she was walking around in her prodigy service uniform. It consisted of a green dress shirt, a tie colored according to her rank, a white service coat, white dress pants, and black dress shoes. 

Carolyn eventually made her way through the terminal and arrived at Gate-4E. There were plenty of Scarlet trainees, like herself, scattered around the gate’s waiting area. She found an empty row of seats over to the side and sat down, putting her duffel bag down beside her feet. Although she was the Salutatorian of her graduating class, she wasn’t very social. Making friends and idly chatting were things she didn’t feel a need to do, so she didn’t go out of her way to do them. She usually just sat by herself and tried to avoid all the small talk her classmates usually engaged in.

While Carolyn was waiting, she pulled out her computer pad from her backpack, opening up the Army Scarlet Beret training book. She figured she’d might as well do something productive while she waited. Just after opening up the file, a couple fellow trainees sat in her row with one sitting right beside her.

“Hey there. Whatcha reading?” asked the trainee directly beside Carolyn.

Carolyn glanced away momentarily from her pad to see who was asking. Sitting next to her was a young cat with white fur and short, messy bright-pink hair. “The Scarlet Beret training manual. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to _continue_ reading, preferably in peace,” she said.

“Brrr… the cold shoulder. Now is that any way to treat a fellow trainee?” asked the girl, placing her hands on her hips. “You should be happy! We’re going to be training at the Scarlet Beret training facility!”

Carolyn sighed and put her computer to sleep mode, deciding to humor the girl by chatting with her instead of continuing to read. She didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot. These people were going to be her teammates for the remainder of the year after all. Unlike the ones she’d trained with during the academy and Field Training, the ones currently around her were different. They were all training to be Scarlet Berets like she was, so she thought they’d all have common interests. They’d be more relatable unlike the wide variety of prodigies she’d previously worked with in the past. She put away her pad and turned towards the trainee next to her, outstretching her hand.

“Sorry, let’s try that again. I’m Prodigy Carolyn Ren,” said Carolyn with stern expression.

The trainee smiled and shook Carolyn’s hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Prodigy Tara Clemmings, and this is my friend, Prodigy Judy Jackson,” she said. Judy waved in acknowledgement and Carolyn nodded back. Judy was also a cat with tan fur and long, dark-black hair.

As they waited, Tara and Carolyn chatted for a bit and got to know each other a little better. While they were waiting, more and more trainees started to show up. When Carolyn first arrived, there were about fifty trainees at the gate with one to three showing up every minute or so. After about ten more minutes of waiting, there were around ninety trainees with several more still incoming.

As soon as the shuttle arrived, a few flight attendants opened up the gate and started letting people onboard. Carolyn was relieved and pardoned herself to get in line. She could only handle so much socialization, especially with someone as talkative as Tara. When it was Carolyn’s turn to board, she handed the attendant a copy of her orders, an official document that stated that she was supposed to be there. The attendant looked it over and placed it in a collection basket, allowing Carolyn to pass.

Carolyn thanked the attendant and proceeded through the gate, taking a set of stairs out to the tarmac outside. The shuttle was parked on a parking apron just outside the boarding gate. When she got to the shuttle, there were people there to take the trainees’ duffel bags and load them into the cargo hold. Carolyn handed over her duffel bag then started climbing the stairs to board the shuttle. As she was doing that, she took out another copy of her orders from her backpack to see where she was supposed to sit. She checked the document over, looking for her section, row, and exact seat number. The shuttle had rows of two seats on either side of the aisle. She kept glancing back and forth between the rows of seats, looking for her seat number.

Finally, Carolyn found her seat. She had the third seat in the row, meaning she had the aisle seat on the right side of the shuttle. Looking to the seat next to hers, she saw a trainee already sitting by the window. She took off her backpack and stowed it in the overhead storage compartment, securing it next to the one already in there. She made sure to grab her computer pad from her bag before putting it away; she wanted to make sure she had something to preoccupy herself with during the flight. After she closed the storage bin, she scooted into the row and took her seat, getting settled in. She activated her pad, and was about to continue reading from where she left off, until a familiar, energy-filled voice filled her head.

“Hey there! Looks like we get to spend the whole trip together!” said Tara as she stowed away her backpack along with Judy. Once their bags were secured in the overhead bins, they took their seats next to each other across the aisle. Tara was sitting in the aisle seat across from Carolyn while Judy sat beside Tara by the window.

Carolyn frowned heavily on the inside, but she hid her emotions from them. She exhaled and kept her attention on her pad. “Yeah… what fun,” she said.

“Hey, before we left, I forgot to ask you question,” said Tara as she leaned across the aisle towards Carolyn.

“And what might that be?” asked Carolyn.

“Which academy did you go to?” asked Tara.

Without diverting her gaze from her computer, she answered. “Black Land Academy,” she said.

“Ooo! Black Land. I hear only the best-of-the-best come from there,” said Tara. Right after she said that, the trainee sitting next to her scoffed.

“Best-of-the-best? Black Land? Please… Bright Sky Academy is where the _true_ best-of-the-best come from,” said the trainee sitting next to Carolyn.

“Bright Sky?” asked Tara, unsure of what the trainee was referring to.

The trainee beside Carolyn turned to Tara with a bewildered expression. “You know- Bright Sky Academy? The all-girl academy?” she said, trying to jog Tara’s memory.

“Sorry, never heard of it. Have you heard of it, Judes?” asked Tara, but Judy shook her head.

“Whatever…,” said the trainee, slumping back into her seat.

“Well, I’m from Golden Fields Academy. Though not as prestigious as Black Land, it’s still a nice academy. Judes and I graduated from there and even completed Field Training together, isn’t that right, Judes?” said Tara as she looked to Judy.

Judy just nodded in agreement as she continued to rest her eyes. “Mmmhmm,” she said.

“By the way, we didn’t catch your name,” said Tara, looking to the person sitting next to Carolyn.

The trainee glanced over and replied with an enthusiastic demeanor. “The name’s Vicky- Vicky Valentina. I was the third seat of my graduating class,” she said.

“Wow! I’m fourth and Judes was the fifth seat at our academy. What about you, Carol? What seat were you?” asked Tara, looking to Carolyn.

Carolyn let out another sigh as she tried to focus on her reading. “Second seat, the Salutatorian,” she said.

Tara looked at Carolyn with a surprised and amazed expression, whereas Vicky just looked at her in an unimpressed and contemptuous way. Even Judy took a break from her catnap and opened an eye to see the Salutatorian of Black Land sitting just a couple seats over.

“Pfft… _you_? You’re the Salutatorian of Black Land, the _‘Ice Queen’_ of Field Training?” asked Vicky.

“Yes,” said Carolyn, unnerved by the others’ interest in her.

“You don’t seem all that special to me,” said Vicky.

Before Vicky could continue berating Carolyn, the pilot’s voice was heard over the PA system. He informed the crew and passengers that they’d be taking off in just a moment, giving them the usual pre-flight talk. Once everything was taken care of, he started up the engines and piloted the ship into the sky. The training facility wasn’t too far away, and they’d arrive at their destination within a few hours.

Throughout the trip, Carolyn was flanked by a ditsy cat and a conceited bunny. She was stuck between a bombardment of defensive remarks and offensive comments between the two of them. She couldn’t just use her authoritative power and tell them to shut their traps; they were all the same rank as her and it’d be rude to do so. Finding no other alternative, she just sucked it up and endured through it all. She was amazed that Tara’s friend, Judy, was able to sleep through it all. She guessed it made sense, since she had to put up with her for however many years they’d been friends. After a grueling and exhausting flight, the shuttle finally arrived at the training facility. As they grew nearer to the base, the shuttle’s pilot alerted the passengers onboard of their arrival.

“Whoa, we’re there already?” said Tara.

Carolyn switched off her pad and prepared to depart. _‘Hmph, easy for you to say. You were running your mouth the entire trip,’_ she thought in her head.

“Grrr… I was having such a nice dream,” said Judy, grouchy from having her nap interrupted.

When the shuttle landed, the flight attendants helped everyone depart from the ship quickly and efficiently. Outside, personnel from the base were already unloading all the duffel bags from the shuttle’s cargo bay, setting them on the tarmac nearby.

Once the trainees stepped off the staircase leading from the shuttle’s outer hatch to the tarmac, base training officers started shouting at them to fall in and line up. The trainees panicked and fell into the standard army formations of five by four. The trainees stood at attention and remained still, awaiting further instructions from the training officers.

Tara remained at attention, but she used her peripheral vision to see what was going on. _‘What’s going on? We just stepped off the shuttle and they’re already hammering us in a typical drill sergeant fashion?’_ she thought.

Vicky was in the back row of her formation, sighing with disappointment. _‘Should’ve seen this one coming,’_ she thought.

After everyone was in formation, which only took a few seconds due to their well-disciplined training, the drill instructors addressed the trainees. One of the officers from the group walked in front of the large formation of trainees. She stood confidently, wearing the trademark Scarlet Beret uniform.

“Attention! Welcome to the Lake Clearwater Training Facility,” said the officer as she looked over all the trainees standing in formation. To make sure everyone could hear her, she was speaking through her helmet microphone which was connected to a loud speaker system. “I am Brigadier General Hellman, the base commander of this fine installation. You are all here because you all think you have what it takes to become one of the Cornerian Army’s elite, the Scarlet Berets! We _will_ be firm, strict, and tolerate no nonsense, because _all_ of you strive to be a Scarlet Beret, and we expect you to act as such. Right now, you’ll be divided into units and given rooming assignments. You’ll be expected to get to know your fellow teammates, for they will be your sisters- your _lifelines_ for the duration of your stay here. After you’ve settled in, your training will commence, so prepare yourselves.” After she was done talking, she put the trainees at ease and left the stage. Training officers then started yelling out the names of trainees to get them into their units.

“So, what do you think of the base commander, Lynn? She’s cool, right?” asked Tara as she followed Carolyn out of the formation. They moved into the large mass of trainees crowding the training officers, listening for their names to be called.

“Shut yer trap. I’m trying to listen out for my name,” said Carolyn, concentrating on the training officers’ voices.

“Geez, so serious,” said Tara, backing away slightly as she listened intently for her name as well.

“Last call for Ramirez, Johnson, Geldhart…,” said a training officer through her hand-held loudspeaker. “Next- Ren, Clemmings, Jackson, and Valentina.”

Upon hearing her name, Carolyn made her way through the crowd and approached the officer. _‘Well, there’s my name. Hmm… Clemmings. Where have I heard that name before? Wait. Is that the same Clemmings as…,’_ she thought to herself.

“Hey! We’re all in the same unit. How lucky is that?” said Tara, wrapping her arm around Carolyn’s neck.

“Lucky? More like unlucky…,” said Carolyn, prying Tara’s arm off her.

“Shoot. You mean to tell me that I’m stuck with you three in my unit?” said Vicky as she approached Carolyn’s group.

After grouping up, they looked to the officer that called out their names. She was a Croatian Sheepdog in her mid-twenties. There was a line of trainees in front of her, so they got in line as well.

When it was Carolyn’s turn in line, she stepped forward and reported in, saluting her superior officer. “Prodigy Carolyn Ren, reporting in, ma’am,” she said.

The officer gave Carolyn a nod then casually put her at ease. “Not anymore you aren’t,” she said, tapping on her computer pad.

“Pardon me, ma’am?” asked Carolyn.

“As of this moment, all prodigies will disregard their prodigy ranks and titles. Instead, you’ll all be addressed as ‘trainee’ to keep you all focused. Having you all the same rank will keep you subordinate to the training officers instead of each other,” said the officer.

“Yes, ma’am. I understand, ma’am,” said Carolyn.

The officer tapped on her pad again, moving a few things around on the screen. “I have one team opening left. Looks like you four will fill that slot perfectly. You’re the other half of Baker Squad,” she said, pointing to Carolyn, Tara, Judy, and Vicky. “I’m Captain Barton, otherwise known as Sights. I’ll be this company’s commanding officer.” She checked off the rest of her trainees from the attendance list and turned off her pad.

“Why are you called Sights? Is that some sort of callsign?” asked Tara.

Barton gave Tara a standoffish look. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said. She looked to her right and walked over to another officer nearby. She said something to her then continued towards another group of trainees under her command.

The officer Barton was talking to stepped forward and addressed Carolyn and the other trainees around her. “Afternoon, trainees. I’m Lieutenant Strauss AKA Shots, and I’ll be your platoon leader,” she said, looking to all the trainees in front of her. “I’m also the company’s deputy commander and morale officer. Right now, we’ll be heading over to the Fourth Barracks to get you all settled in, so get your bags. After that, it’s right to it. Oh, and you have fifteen minutes starting… now.”

Carolyn thought it was odd for Strauss to give them such a generous time-hack just to get their bags, but as she and the rest of her platoonmates approached the shuttle, it all made sense. The personnel from the base had stacked everyone’s bags into one giant. There were trainees all around it, pulling bags from the pile and tossing them all over if wasn’t theirs. Carolyn let out a sigh of frustration and hurried over as did everyone else.

The large pile of bags was actually done intentionally, a test designed by the training cadre. It was meant to see if the trainees could put aside their personal needs and work as a team. It was also meant to see if any leaders distinguished themselves from their peers.

Carolyn had to weave in and out amongst all the trainees there, trying to find their own bags before reporting back to their platoon commanders. Even though each bag looked identical, they had an ID tag on them with the trainee’s name and home station written on it. Trainees weren’t allowed to personalize their bags, so the ID tags were the only way to differentiate them.

“This is nuts! You’d think they’d place our bags in a more orderly fashion,” said Tara as she pushed several bags out of the way.

“Yeah. No wonder Lieutenant Strauss gave us so much time just to get our bags,” said Judy as she checked a luggage tag to no avail.

Carolyn groaned with annoyance as she checked a luggage tag only to find it wasn’t hers. Making no progress, she stepped back from the pile to see the bigger picture. After taking a few moments to think to herself, she came up with an idea. She hurried over to the pile and got Tara, Judy, and Vicky to come over to her.

“All right, this is getting us nowhere,” said Carolyn as she looked to team.

“Yeah, no shit. At this rate, I bet you my bag is in the very bottom of the pile,” said Vicky as she glanced back to the chaos all around the giant pile of bags.

Carolyn scoffed as she looked at the pile then back to her team. “Then let’s do something about it. We need to organize these bags better, so people grab their bags and get out of the way. Start grabbing bags and sort them according to last name. A’s start down there and so on and so forth down the line. If we keep it up, surely others will catch on and follow. Then we’ll be able to find our bags in no time,” she said.

The rest of Carolyn’s team liked the idea and gave her a nod, heading off to start sorting all the duffel bags. As they began forming piles, other trainees asked what they were doing and began following their lead. Not before long, all the trainees were helping to sort the bags, even the ones who’d already found their bags. As the pile grew smaller, more trainees were able to find their bags. All the while, the training cadre took note of Carolyn’s leadership from the sidelines, making sure to add her to the list of trainees to keep an eye on. After the pile was fully sorted, Carolyn and her team found their bags and returned to Strauss.

“Well, that went well,” said Judy as she saw more and more trainees leave with their bags in tow.

“Yeah. Great idea, Lynn,” said Tara as she nudged Carolyn’s shoulder.

Carolyn continued walking, not letting the praise get to her head. “I just wanted to get my bag, and that was the most efficient way of doing so,” she said.

Vicky looked to Carolyn and scoffed slightly. “Maybe you’re not just talk after all,” she said.

Carolyn and the others returned to where their platoon commander was and waited for further instructions. Eventually, all the trainees returned before their time-hack was up. Once Strauss had all her trainees back, she led them to their barracks to drop off their bags and change uniforms.

“I can’t wait to get started!” said Tara, following gleefully along in step with the others.

“Why are you so happy? Once we get _started_ means it’s going to be a lot of physical stress on our bodies, a lot of yelling, and a lot of troublesome activities,” asked Vicky.

“I’m happy because we’re training to be Scarlet Berets, the best the Cornerian Army has to offer!” said Tara.

“At least to women… anyway,” said Judy, walking alongside Tara.

“Not entirely true. The Crimzon Roses are the best the Cornerian Army has to offer us women, and I’m going to be one of them,” said Vicky with a determined expression.

“Technically, the Crimzon Roses are a special unit of the Scarlet Berets, so it is still correct to say that the Scarlet Berets are the best the Cornerian Army has to offer women,” said Carolyn.

“You know what? Nobody asked you,” said Vicky.

Carolyn ignored Vicky’s remark and didn’t mind her. As they continued to walk towards the barracks, Strauss explained a bit more about their training.

“At one point throughout your training, you’ll be given a callsign by either me or Sights- that’s Captain Barton if you don’t remember. Once you get one, we’ll be calling you by that instead of your name, so you better remember it. Until you get one, we’ll address you as usual by calling you ‘trainee’ or your name. And no- you can’t choose your own callsign,” said Strauss.

“Did you hear that? We get callsigns! Cool!” said Tara to Judy.

“I have a couple guesses as to what yours might be,” said Vicky, seeing Tara look at her with a smile and oblivious to her sarcasm.

When they arrived at the barracks, other platoons were there as well, heading to their assigned bays. The Fourth Barracks belonged to Barton’s company, so all her trainees were kept under one roof. After heading inside, the trainees followed Strauss to the bay where their bunks were located.

“All right, trainees, pair up and grab a bunk. Afterwards, get changed into your field uniforms. You have ten minutes, so hustle up. Once you’re done, form up outside,” said Strauss. After she was done talking, everyone quickly paired up and did as they were ordered.

Carolyn looked around for a partner and decided to ask Judy. “Want to bunk?” she asked.

“Sorry. Tara and I have this one,” said Judy as she started changing.

 _‘Figures…,’_ thought Carolyn as she tried to find another bunk. She then turned around and saw Vicky by the bunk right next to Tara’s and Judy’s, still needing a bunkmate. She made her way over and started claiming the top bunk since Vicky had already had the bottom one.

“And just what the hell do you think _you’re_ doing?” asked Vicky as she glared at Carolyn.

“I need a bunk and decided to take this one,” said Carolyn, retrieving her field uniform out of her duffel bag and beginning to change. The uniform consisted of a plain tan t-shirt, desert tan and brown fatigues, and tan combat boots.

“I mean why this bunk?” asked Vicky.

“Why _not_ this bunk?” asked Carolyn as she looked to Vicky.

“Because… I. Don’t. Like. YOU,” said Carolyn, pointing irritably at Carolyn.

“Well, too bad. We’re squadmates- even more… teammates. So, stop acting like a child and deal with it. What kind of trainee are you?” asked Carolyn.

Vicky glared at Carolyn but didn’t snap back. “Fine. Have it your way _‘Ice Queen’_. Just don’t get on my nerves more so than you are already, and we should get through this just barely,” she said.

Carolyn nodded and continued changing as well. She made sure to take care of her service uniform as she undressed, hanging it on a hanger. There was a wall locker on either side of the bed, and Vicky had already claimed the right one. That left Carolyn with the left one, so she hung her service uniform in there.

As everyone was getting situated in, Strauss entered the bay and called the room to attention, causing all the trainees to immediately stop what they were doing and stand at-attention. Barton then came in and put the room at ease, walking over to Strauss to see how things were going.

“How’s your platoon doing, Shots?” asked Barton, standing next to Strauss and looking to the trainees in the room.

“Fine, ma’am. I seem to have an adequate bunch of trainees. Something about them seems… capable,” said Strauss.

“It seems you do. You know why that is, right?” asked Barton, turning to Strauss.

Strauss took a moment to think it over but couldn’t come up with anything. “No, ma’am. I’m not quite sure I get where you’re coming from,” she said.

Barton smirked and gestured over to Carolyn by her bunk. “Her. Doesn’t she seem a bit familiar?” she asked.

Strauss looked over and saw the trainee she was pointing to. “She does look kinda familiar, but I’m done guessing. What’s so significant about her?” she asked.

“She’s Black Land’s Salutatorian and the Top Student from her Field Training class. Right there in front of you is one of the brightest and most talented female prodigies of her age group,” said Barton.

“I guess that explains what happened earlier with the Bag Mountain exercise,” said Strauss. She and Barton observed her with a promising look before heading outside to command the trainees already in formation.

Before their ten minutes were up, all the trainees were outside and in formation, including Carolyn and the rest of her team. Everyone was dressed in their field uniform which meant they were about to start their training in earnest. After a few words, Barton released the company to the platoon commanders and moved aside to watch and supervise.

For the remainder of the day, the trainees underwent tiring drills, exercises, and combat scenarios. The purpose of the first day’s events was to see which trainees were potential candidates for squad and team leader positions. All of the activities were team-based, requiring teamwork and a “can-do” attitude to accomplish. Some of the activities included obstacle courses, stun-gun battle scenarios, and a tour around the complex in the form of a company run. After a long afternoon of excruciating physical activity, the trainees headed to the mess hall for a late dinner.

“Damn. I’m beat…,” said Judy, looking to Tara as they shuffled through the food line.

“Oh c’mon! It wasn’t that bad,” said Tara who was still full of energy despite everything.

“How in the world do you still have energy?” asked Vicky.

“No idea. I’m just excited!” said Tara as she followed the others to find a table to sit at. “How are you feeling, Carolyn?”

“I’m feeling fine,” said Carolyn, spotting an empty table off to the side. Her team followed her over and began eating after taking their seats.

As they were eating, Strauss approached their table to speak with them. “Good evening, trainees,” she said, stopping in front of them.

“Good evening, ma’am,” said Carolyn as she stood up from her seat, as did the rest of the table.

Strauss gestured for them to remain at ease and had them sit back down, sitting at the table with them. “We’ve finished evaluating all of you and have selected our team leaders for the company. For your team, we have chosen Trainee Ren to be team leader. Congratulations,” she said.

Upon hearing the news, Carolyn remained professional and thanked her. Thank you, ma’am. I won’t let you down,” she said.

“I’m sure you won’t,” said Strauss. She then gave Carolyn a pat on the shoulder before leaving to inform the rest of the team leaders.

Vicky was shocked at first, but then she turned slowly towards Carolyn, glaring angrily at her. Across the table, Tara was smiling with approval while Judy continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

“Wow, Carol! Team leader! Well, you did do well in every challenge the training officers gave us, so I guess you deserve it,” said Tara.

“Deserve it!? I kept up and performed just as well as she, and even better at times! Why did she get to be team leader!?” said Vick, slamming her utensils onto her tray.

Judy stopped eating and confronted Vicky. “Hey, she made team leader on her own ability. I’m pretty sure Captain Barton and Lieutenant Strauss had their reasons. Besides, you’re not the most… _suitable_ person to lead anyway. Maybe if you’re lucky, she might make you her deputy,” she said.

Vicky was about to snap back at Judy, but Carolyn intervened. “Trainee Valentina, we’re on the same team, so shut up and keep your complaints to yourself. As a trainee of the Cornerian prodigies training to become a Scarlet Beret, one must act as such, remember? If you want to be my deputy, I have no qualms making it so,” she said.

Vicky bit her tongue and didn’t curse Carolyn out, agreeing with what she’d said regarding how she should act. “Sure, I’ll be your _deputy_. But once I see an opening… even the slightest chance of taking your position as team leader, I won’t hesitate to put you out of the job,” she said, exchanging heated looks with Carolyn before continuing with their meals.

After dinner, the training officers gave the trainees the rest of the day off, since it was only the first day. The trainees were confined to the barracks; however, so there wasn’t much they could do. Most of them just washed up and relaxed while others organized their bunk space.

Carolyn and her team were in their barracks relaxing and fixing their bunks. Carolyn was lying down on her bunk, reading the Scarlet Beret training manual. Tara and Judy were unpacking their bags and placing things in their wall lockers. Vicky was getting her toiletries ready for a shower.

When the curfew came about, the training cadre ordered lights out and told everyone to get some sleep. The trainees did as they were told and got in their bunks. By then, all of them had taken their showers and fully unpacked.

“All right, ladies, get a good night’s rest. You’re going to need it. Tomorrow’s going to be a long and grueling day,” said Strauss before turning of the lights. Once they were off, she motioned to the trainee on night patrol to begin her duties before heading to her room.

Carolyn let out a tired sigh as she laid in her bunk, reflecting on the day’s events. _‘So far so good. I’ve been assigned a team, performed well in the eyes of my superiors, and even made team leader. Not surprising though. I wouldn’t have tolerated anything less. Still… those teammates of mine. They’re my only problem, especially that Trainee Valentina. At least we came to an understanding and lessened the tension… for the most part. I need some sleep…’_


	3. What Goes Around…

_“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”_

Carolyn slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a bright-white room surrounded by medical equipment. She looked around and saw a Delta sitting in a chair next to her bed, reading something on his pad.

Noticing Carolyn stirring beside him, the Delta put down his pad to check on her. “How are you doing, ma’am?” he asked.

“Like I’ve had a steel rebar rammed into my gut. What happened? Where am I?” asked Carolyn.

“You’re in the Fort Birmingham infirmary, ma’am. You collapsed due to blood loss and perhaps the shock. You took a hit in your abdomen,” said the Delta.

“I don’t remember getting shot. Must’ve happened when Vicky and I jumped out of the window- wait, Vicky! What happened to her!?” asked Carolyn, remembering her injured comrade.

The Delta flinched then shook his head. “She… didn’t make it. She died before we could get her into surgery. The bullet was lodged in her heart, so there wasn’t anything we could do,” he said.

Carolyn looked down with a blank stare, one filled with disbelief and regret. “Any word from Team Solace?” she asked, hoping that someone made it out alive.

The Delta winced at the question. “No. There’s been no contact from Team Solace. They’re all dead,” he said.

“Dead!? How can you be sure?” asked Carolyn.

“After we escaped, Veras and Hammerstein hacked a local broadcast channel to air a video mocking you and the rest of us military members in general,” said the Delta.

“What kind of vid?” asked Carolyn with a furrowed eyebrow.

The Delta hesitated for a second. “Are you sure you want to see it? It’s- It’s pretty rough,” he said.

Carolyn gave him a stern look and said, “I need to know.”

After a reluctant sigh, the Delta picked up his pad, selected the file, and handed it to Carolyn to see. She then took it and watched the video file with anxious eyes.

The video began with random scenes of Hammerstein’s and Veras’ men celebrating their victory over their would-be assassins. They were firing their guns into the air and cheering widely. The scene transitioned and showed several shots of the dead Crimzon Roses’ bodies being defaced and defiled. There were scenes of men shown stripping the bodies of their armor and gear, dispersing it amongst themselves in a disrespectful manner. The video switched over to scenes of men posing inappropriately with the dead bodies of the Roses. Some of the gestures and poses were obscene and vulgar which made Carolyn cringe with disgust.

After a montage of foul depravity and degradation, Hammerstein appeared on the screen. “Government and military leaders of Corneria. Today, you sent a group of armed soldiers to kill me- on my very own birthday at my private villa. You think that you can kill _ME_!? With such a weak force!? You sent a group of _women_ to kill me!?” said Hammerstein, waving his handgun around with reckless abandon. “How insulting. Let me show you what happens when you mess with the Hammerstein Mafia,” he said before motioning for some of his men off screen.

Two of his thugs then appeared next to him, carrying a battered and bloodied Crimson Rose. “Wake up!” said one of the thugs, kicking the half-dead soldier in the leg.

The camera zoomed in on the face of the captive Rose. It was Bones, dirty and banged up from the mission and only wearing a t-shirt. She faintly opened her eyes and looked into the camera.

With a vile smirk on his face, Hammerstein knelt down beside Bones. “Why don’t you tell them your name, eh, love?” he said, holding his pistol next to her head.

Bones just wearily looked over at him then spit angrily in his face. “Fuck you,” she said, giving him one last smug smile.

Hammerstein recoiled from the act of defiance and stood up. “Gragh, you fucking bitch!” he said before aiming his pistol and executing her with a single shot to the head. He then looked back to the camera and holstered his weapon, taking out a rag and wiping the blood and spit from his face. “That’s what happens when you send a woman to do a man’s job. Maybe you’ll think twice the next time you think about coming after me.” He gave the camera a smug grin before walking off camera. The screen then went black as the video came to an end.

“…Bones,” said Carolyn before handing back the pad to the Delta with shaky hands.

“Will you be all right, ma’am?” asked the Delta, sensing Carolyn’s distress.

Carolyn snapped back at the Delta with an aggravated glare which made him flinch for a moment. After realizing that she was taking out her frustration on him, she calmed herself down. She knew it wasn’t his fault. “Maybe. I just need a moment alone,” she said.

“Roger that, ma’am. I’ll alert the nurse and tell her to come by in five minutes,” said the Delta before leaving the room.

Carolyn just sat on her bed, deep in thought about seeing her fallen comrades, their bodies being violated by common thugs. The wort part was that deep down she knew- it was all her fault.

A few hours later, the Delta Carolyn first met after waking up came back to check on her. He knocked on the door and entered after the nurse let him in. “Good afternoon, ma’am. How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Like shit. How do you think? I got shot and my entire team was killed, but thanks for asking,” said Carolyn as she remained reclined in her hospital bed. “Who are you again?”

“I’m First Lieutenant Jameson, ma’am. I go by the callsign Tourist,” said the Delta.

“So, you’re Tourist, huh? Thanks for the heads up back there; though, it didn’t get any of my gals out of there alive. But it’s not your fault. It’s mine,” said Carolyn.

“If it makes you feel any better, your fellow Roses didn’t die in vain,” said Tourist.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Carolyn with a crass tone.

“After the operation, a Delta team was sent in the next day to finish the job, no offense,” said Tourist as he took a seat next to Carolyn. “Luckily for us, Veras and Hammerstein were too busy celebrating their ‘victory’ and Hammerstein’s birthday to bother relocating, and they stayed the night at the villa. Taking the opportunity, the Deltas struck hard and fast, catching the everyone off guard. They roped in from dropships during the day and hit all of the key targets. What remained of the guards were either too drunk or wasted from the festivities the day before to pose any serious threat. You and the other Roses really gave ‘em hell. You all probably killed around fifty or so enemy combatants. Anyway, the Deltas killed Veras, Hammerstein, and all of their underlings within the compound. They left no survivors. They also recovered the data from Hammerstein’s computer as well as a few pieces of other valuable intelligence.”

“What about the bodies of my teammates? What happened to them?” asked Carolyn.

“Recovered -every single one of them- along with their gear. Capt. Tara Clemmings was partially alive when they found her, but unfortunately died from her wounds at Montgomery Army Field Hospital,” said Tourist.

“She was still alive, and we just… left her there?” said Carolyn to herself.

Tourist was about to say something when suddenly, two MPs from the base entered the room. “LtCol. Carolyn Ren, you’re under arrest for disobeying a direct order from a general officer, insubordination, and the reckless disregard for the soldiers under your command,” said one of the MPs.

#

_Three days later…_

Carolyn stood restlessly in front of a mirror and adjusted her tie. Standing in the bathroom by herself, she straightened out her service uniform before her ensuing court-martial. Her superiors were not pleased with her conduct, and they decided to reprimand her harshly for her actions.

After letting out a sigh, Carolyn continued to look at herself in the mirror when suddenly, her appointed attorney entered the restroom. “Lieutenant-Colonel Ren, it’s time,” said the attorney.

Carolyn nodded and headed towards the door with her. “Looks like this is the last time I’ll see you guys,” she said to herself, patting her lieutenant-colonel shoulder ranks. She readied herself and made her way into the main courtroom with her defense counsel, escorted by two of the MPs.

Inside were several military members consisting of both officers and enlisted personnel, some of which would be directly participating while most others were just there to witness it. Carolyn looked around and saw a several familiar faces in the observer section of the courtroom. She continued through the main aisle towards the head of the room, with all eyes in attendance locked on her. The prosecutor for the case was already sitting at the plaintiff’s table, ready to grill her in front of the judges. As she took her seat at defendant’s table, she glanced over and noticed an old friend sitting in the crowd, Col. Leanne “Sights” Barton, her old commanding officer. Carolyn didn’t know whether to feel pleased or worried to see her due to the current circumstances.

Once Carolyn and her defense counsel were seated, a panel of five officers entered the room. Everyone arose from their seats as the bailiff called the room to attention. After the panel took their place behind the pulpit at the front of the room, everyone took their seats and the trial began.

In the beginning, the presiding judge, a brigadier general, started off by informing everyone present of the situation Carolyn was in. He went over the declassified details of Operation GIFT BASKET and why she was being court-martialed. After the introductions were over with, the prosecutor went to work and presented all the evidence against Carolyn.

The evidence was substantial with the prosecutor listing offense after offense. He had everything he needed to build a strong case against Carolyn. All she could do was remain silent, frowning on the inside as everyone was made aware of her mistakes. She didn’t even bother looking over towards her mentor for fear or look of disappointment on her face.

When it was the defense’s turn, the defense counsel tried her best to defend Carolyn, but there wasn’t much she could do. The case was decisively weighted in the prosecutor’s favor. All the defense counsel could really do was call on officers that were acquaintances of Carolyn’s, asking them to give their testimonies on her work ethic and habits.

When everything was said and done, the head judge shook his head and finished up the court-marshal. He looked down on Carolyn who was standing in front of the panel, awaiting her sentencing. “For such a disgrace to the Army Crimzon Roses and the military as a whole, you are hereby demoted back to the pay grade of O-3, Captain. Along with your demotion, you are hereby forbidden from ever promoting to the next paygrade, and your base pay has been severely reduced,” he said with a firm tone. “To salvage something from this catastrophe, and not lose another valuable asset, we decided not to dishonorably discharge you. Even though your failure got all of your comrades killed, and cost the Army Crimzon Roses its reputation and credibility for perhaps the next several years to come, we just couldn’t let you go due to past services rendered. Your talent, skill, and experience are much too valuable to just throw away despite your grievous offenses. Therefore, along with your demotion, you’re being reassigned to teaching duty at the Prodigy Academy Centre Ridge on Corneria.”

At that moment, two MPs walked up to Carolyn and stripped her of her current rank. Once they were off, they replaced her lieutenant-colonel insignias with captain ones. After they were done, the judge struck the face of the pulpit with his gavel, motioning for the two MPs to escort Carolyn out of the room. As she was being escorted out, everyone else followed suit and vacated the room.

Once Carolyn was in the lobby, one of the MPs gave her a file detailing her next assignment. “You’re free to go, ma’am. Here’s your new assignment,” he said.

“Yeah yeah, now get lost,” said Carolyn, forcefully taking the file away from him. The MPs didn’t pay her any attention and left her alone, leaving to attend to their duties. As she opened up the file to quickly skim it over, Barton spotted her from across the room and approached her.

“It’s been a while, Frost,” said Barton.

Carolyn looked up from the file, surprised to see her mentor standing there. There were only a handful of people she truly respected, and Barton was one of them. “Oh, ma’am. I didn’t see you there,” said Carolyn with an apprehensive smile.

“Still the same old hotshot, huh?” said Barton, trying to keep the mood light.

Carolyn glanced down then looked back at Barton. “Look, I know how you must be feeling, but-” she said, but before she could finish, Barton raised her hand, prompting her to stop talking.

“I’m more disappointed than angry, Carolyn. I thought we- I trained you better than this,” said Barton. “Even back during training, you were always trying to prove yourself to others, going as far as to risk your own team at times. I thought you would’ve learned your lesson by now, but because of your incompetence- your arrogance, several of our most talented sisters are dead. Now, I’m not going to say whether I agree with the judge’s decision or not, but whatever happens from now on, I hope you remember this.” She patted Carolyn on the shoulder then walked away, not raising her head to meet Carolyn’s gaze.

As Carolyn watched Barton leave, she was disappointed but sighed with relief. _‘Well, that went better than expected,’_ she thought to herself, trying not to let everything get to her. _‘I didn’t go to jail and I still have a job. I guess I was partially right, though. I lost my lieutenant-colonel rank, but I didn’t think I’d see these again.’_ She glanced at her captain’s rank on her shoulders and sighed again. She then took her file in hand and headed back to her living quarters, gathering her things before leaving for Grandeur City where her next assignment was.

After grabbing her bags, Carolyn caught a ride on a shuttle heading to Huntington Air Force Base, a military installation located on the outskirts of Grandeur City. The academy she was stationed at was situated right next to the base.

When Carolyn arrived at the base, she picked up her bags from the storage compartment under the shuttle. She shouldered her duffel bag and headed straight for the academy to report in. Luckily, she was at an Air Force base, so there weren’t too many personnel that recognized her. Not that many Army units, especially Scarlet Berets or Crimzon Roses, were stationed at Air Force installations.

It was the middle of the first semester and classes were still going on when Carolyn arrived at Centre Ridge Academy. Most of the students were in class, so the grounds were mostly empty when she walked through the front gate. She let out a weary sigh as she thought about her next job as an academy instructor, teaching a bunch of kids about whatever topic she was told to by the cadre.

Carolyn looked around, glancing from building to building as she walked through the campus. _‘Huh, it’s not as good as Black Land, but it’s that not bad,’_ she thought, comparing the academy to the one she went to. Approaching the main building, she entered and went straight to the main office to report in. There were a few officers and academy cadre there, but none of them seemed to recognize her.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” asked the attendant at the front desk when Carolyn approached her.

“Yes, I’ve been transferred here to start my teaching assignment,” said Carolyn.

“Name please?” asked the attendant.

“Ren. LtCol. Carolyn Ren,” said Carolyn.

The attendant gave Carolyn an odd look. “Don’t you mean, captain?” she asked, gesturing to Carolyn’s shoulder rank.

Carolyn remembered the court-martial and frowned. “Yeah… I meant _captain_ ,” she said.

The attendant looked to her computer screen and began typing away. A few moments later, Carolyn’s file appeared on the screen. “Yes. Captain Ren. I’ve got you on file. Have you made any living arrangements?” she asked.

“Living arrangements? I haven’t given it any thought yet,” said Carolyn.

“If you would like, we have a few rooms available at the instructor and staff dorms,” said the attendant.

“Sure. That’ll do. Now, who do I go to report in?” asked Carolyn.

“Colonel Diez’s office is down the hall behind me. He’s the one whom you would want to talk to,” said the attendant, handing Carolyn her room keys.

“Thanks,” said Carolyn, taking her dorm keys. She slipped them in her pocket and walked passed the desk to report in. When she found the principal’s office, she knocked on the closed the door and waited for a response.

“Come in,” said a voice behind the door.

Carolyn obliged and opened the door, dropping her bags to the ground as she stood in front of the principal’s desk. She then rendered a salute as she reported in. “Captain Ren, reporting in, sir,” she said, almost slipping up and presenting herself as a lieutenant-colonel, but she caught her herself that time.

“At ease, Captain. Have a seat,” said Diez, the principal of the academy. He watched as Carolyn left her bags by the door and took a seat in front of his desk. “So, the infamous ‘Ice Queen’, I presume.”

“You know me?” asked Carolyn.

“Please, don’t insult me by thinking I haven’t already scrutinized your file from top to bottom- inside and out,” said Diez as he looked straight at Carolyn.

“So, I assume you already know about my past mission history and my little mishap, considering your rank and all,” said Carolyn.

“Little? You got your entire team killed, Captain. This is no minor incident. If it were up to me, I’d have you locked up for the rest of your life on Cornerianex,” said Diez.

“Don’t think I don’t know that! They were my friends, _sir_ ,” said Carolyn.

“Regardless, you are here now, at my academy. I won’t tolerate hotshot, rebellious tendencies from any of my instructors,” said Diez.

“So, what’s my curriculum? Firearms handling? Combat tactics? What?” asked Carolyn.

“You won’t be given a specific teaching job until the start of summer break, like the rest of your new colleagues. You all have a lot of material you’ll need to go over. Until then, you can tour the campus and get accustomed to its facilities. You can also talk with tenured instructors and sit in classes to observe and develop your teaching style. Do you have any experience teaching?” asked Diez.

“No, sir,” said Carolyn.

“Then you better get to it. What are your living arrangements?” asked Diez.

“I’ve been issued a room at the instructor dormitories,” said Carolyn.

“Good. That’s what I would’ve recommended. Are there any more questions?” asked Diez, but Carolyn shook her head. “All right. You’re dismissed.”

Carolyn stood up and rendered another salute before grabbing her bags on the way out of the office. Walking back outside, she headed straight to the dormitories to drop off her bags and change out of her service uniform. She continued through the front gate and crossed the street, entering the living quarters part of the academy. To her right and left stood the male and female dormitories for the prodigies, and ahead of her, was where the instructors and staff lived.

As Carolyn made her way inside, she thought she saw a familiar face checking his mailbox. After getting a closer look, she did recognize the man and walked over to him. “Hey, Takahashi! Is that you? How’s it been?” she asked.

The gray wolf looked away from the mail in his hand toward Carolyn. As Han saw who it was, he frowned, but his face mask hid his dismay from her. “Ren. So, you finally showed up,” he said, turning towards her.

“What’s that supposed to mean? And what’s with the mask?” asked Carolyn.

Han closed his mailbox and pocketed his key. “It’s a long story,” he said, his face completely emotionless as far as Carolyn could tell. “I was actually at your court-martial, so I know all about your transfer here.”

“What were you doing there and why are _you_ here?” asked Carolyn.

Han sighed, not wanting to deal with his old classmate and new teaching colleague. “What’s with all the questions?” he asked.

“I want to know. C’mon, Han, we’re buddies, right? We used to hang out all the time at the academy together, remember?” asked Carolyn as she stepped towards him.

“That was then. This is now,” said Han.

“Why all the hostility? What did I do to you?” asked Carolyn, somewhat offended by his standoffish attitude.

“You want to know what you did to me? This is what you did to me,” said Han, pulling down his mask and revealing his artificial lower jaw.

Carolyn was surprised by his injury and concerned for her friend’s wellbeing. “What happened to you?” she asked.

“You wanna know why I was at your court-martial? It was because it was my unit that was sent in to clean up your mess,” said Han, pulling his mask back up to cover the lower portion of his face, just below his eyes.

“ _You_ were part of the Delta unit that was sent in after us? How did you get so injured? I heard that it went smoothly for the team that went in,” said Carolyn.

“It did go smoothly, but unfortunately for me, I ran into an unexpected foe, a very skilled sharpshooter who vaguely resembled you. She would’ve had me if my Gun Kata training hadn’t kicked in when I saw her down the hall. I was able to instinctively dodge the shot, but barely. She was quick and raised her rifle before I could fully react. I’m thankful that she only took my bottom jaw and not my life. After she shot me, she escaped while I was on the ground, hanging on to what was left of my jaw,” said Han.

“Shit, I’m sorry to hear that. It must’ve been her doing the shooting. She’s the one who probably killed Jester and the others from Team Solace,” said Carolyn as she gritted her teeth in anger. “So why you? How come you were sent in?”

“I volunteered,” said Han.

“Why?” asked Carolyn.

“I have my reasons. Now if you would excuse me, I think I’ve had enough reminiscing for one day,” said Han, continuing on his way.

Carolyn looked on with concern as she watched him leave. She sensed that there was something emotionally wrong with him, even though he may not have shown it. She sighed with worry and continued to her room.

Taking out her key and spotting the room number on it, Carolyn compared it to the numbers on the rooms she was passing. She took an elevator up a couple floors and walked down a hallway, finally reaching her room. She inserted the key and opened the door, revealing a fully cleaned and furnished room. It had the basic necessities, like a bunk, a desk, side table, and closet.

“I’ve seen better, but at least it’s not as bad as your average Army barracks,” said Carolyn, closing the door behind her. She quickly unpacked and changed into her business casual uniform.

#

Over the next few weeks, Carolyn became more accustomed to the campus and the personnel that worked there. She spectated during a couple of classes and found it hard at first to just sit still during them, but after a while, she got more comfortable being in a classroom again instead of on the battlefield. When summer vacation came around, she received her assignment as did the other new prodigy instructors. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t like her position and brought her discontent directly to the principal.

“How is this possible!? Instructor Richards received the Tactics and Strategy position and I get stuck with Military History!? What is this BS!?” said Carolyn, standing up in her chair and slamming her hands on the principal’s desk.

Diez just glared at Carolyn with an unwavering look. “Your attitude and actions are unruly, Instructor Ren, especially from a soldier of your reputation. But then again, it is coming from a person of _your_ reputation, so I’ll ignore it just this once,” he said, his hands interlocked on his desk. “The reason why Instructor Richards was assigned to the Tactics and Strategy course, and you weren’t, is simply this: I don’t want you teaching that class.”

Carolyn sneered at Diez and sat back down in her seat. “What’s that supposed to mean, _sir_?” she said with gritted teeth.

“What I mean is that I no longer think that you’re best… _qualified_ for that position. The Tactics and Strategy curriculum has a basic outline; however, most of the course is conducted based upon how the instructor feels best, adding his or her own experience and input into the days’ lectures. Military History, on the other hand, has a curriculum set in stone and has no room for deviation or personal input, since history cannot be rewritten. We don’t want you teaching our prodigies _your_ tactics and strategies, no matter how talented and skilled you were in the past,” said Diez.

“You speak as if I’d lost all of my experience and ability once that certain mission was over. As if all my successful missions in the past meant nothing?” said Carolyn.

“All it takes is one foul up like yours to permanently ruin one’s reputation, especially for a person of your caliber,” said Diez with an unsympathetic glare.

“So, there isn’t anything else I can do?” asked Carolyn.

“I’m afraid not. You’re stuck being the Assistant Instructor for Instructor Barnes in his Military History class, and I suggest you get to work on coming up with ways to help teach your students. Time flies and before you know it, it’ll be the first day of the new school year, and you’ll be on your own,” said Diez. He looked on as Carolyn remained silent in her seat, avoiding eye contact with him as she thought her position over in her mind. “Is there a problem?”

Carolyn redirected her attention back on Diez. “No… sir,” she said, not trying to start another argument.

“Good. If there are no other concerns, you’re dismissed,” said Diez.

For the remainder of the summer, and the second semester, Carolyn spent her time refining her teaching skills and her lesson plans. During the time before the new school year, she continued to work with her fellow colleagues, coming up with new teaching methods and getting more comfortable in her transition from combat to teaching.

When it was the first day of the new school year, Carolyn was standing by the head instructor at his desk, going over her lesson plan for the day. As her students began arriving in her classroom, she couldn’t help but feel out of place. _‘What have I gotten myself in to?’_ she thought, watching another student take his seat.

After just a month of being an assistant instructor, Carolyn was both mentally and emotionally exhausted. Dealing with combat situations and generals were one thing, but listening to the whiny little voices of incoming freshmen was another. She wasn’t trained to deal with little kids or the whimsical problems that they brought with them to class. The captain she was apprenticing under was nice enough to handle most of the class’s matters, allowing Carolyn to just observe and learn.

Wanting to take a break from academy matters, she decided to ask Han to dinner, to catch up on things since they last saw each other. She occasionally saw him in the instructor break room, but they didn’t say much to each other while on duty. She felt like he was trying to avoid her, but she wasn’t sure. One Friday during the work day, she caught him in the break room during their lunch period, making his usual meal.

“Hey, Han. Ramen again?” asked Carolyn.

“Yes,” said Han as he continued to watch his soup in the microwave.

“I was wondering, do you have a moment?” asked Carolyn.

“Sure. Just let me get my soup out of here,” said Han before retrieving his ramen and sitting at one of the tables. Carolyn got her sandwich from the fridge and followed him over. “What did you want to talk about?” he asked as she sat down.

“I just wanted to know how things have been. It must be awkward doing this whole teaching gig, right?” asked Carolyn.

“It’s not so bad. I actually volunteered for this assignment. You know, to take things easy,” said Han.

“Really? Then why did you volunteer for the Hammerstein mission if you wanted to take it easy?” asked Carolyn.

“Like I said before, I have my reasons. And I thought I might do one last mission before transferring out of my unit,” said Han.

“Well, I’ve been having more trouble adapting to this lifestyle. I think I’m going to lose my mind here. I just need a break, something to get my mind off of all this,” said Carolyn.

“It’s to be expected. You’re a combat soldier, not a teacher. I’m still confused as to why the judge made the decision he did,” said Han as he moved the noodles around in his bowl with his chopsticks. “So, what did you have in mind?”

“For what?” asked Carolyn.

“For a break. You said you needed something to get your mind off of work,” said Han.

“Since you’re asking, I was thinking of having dinner tonight. Maybe at Plentiful Pasta in the city? I overheard some of the other instructors talking about it, and I thought about trying it out one of these days. Wanna come along?” asked Carolyn.

Han thought it over in his head and had to admit, he needed a break as well. “Sure, I could accompany you if you want. I need to a break as well,” said Han.

“Good. I’ll meet you there at eighteen hundred. Is that fine?” asked Carolyn.

“That’ll work. See you then,” said Han.

Carolyn gave a weak smile and continued with her meal until they had to go back to work.

#

After school was let out, Carolyn went back to the dorms and washed up. She got changed into jeans and a red tank-top before looking up the route to get to the restaurant.

 _‘This place looks expensive. I hope he likes it,’_ thought Carolyn, making sure she knew the route to get there. Once it was time to leave, she left the dormitories and headed into the city towards the restaurant. She made sure to leave a bit early since she wasn’t familiar with her new surroundings.

When Carolyn finally arrived, Han was already waiting for her there outside the restaurant. “Oh, you’re here early,” she said, walking over to him.

“You know how it is- early is on time, on time is late, and late… is unacceptable,” said Han, getting up from his seat on one of the benches.

“Always the punctual one,” said Carolyn, motioning for the door. “Shall we?”

“Ladies first,” said Han, opening the door for her.

Carolyn gave a nod and went on in, followed closely by Han. They only had to wait around ten minutes before they were brought to their table. Han requested a secluded booth, so he could eat without drawing too much attention to himself. The attendant handed them their menus and left to seat other customers.

Sitting there across from Han, Carolyn was hesitant to start up a conversation so quickly. She wanted to remain as casual as possible, masking her true intention for inviting him to dinner as transparent as possible. Unbeknownst to Han, or at least she thought anyway, she’d been keeping a close eye on him ever since the day she met him when they were both classmates together. During her time as a prodigy at Black Land Academy, the same academy Han went to, she was always striving to be the best, but there was someone always at her tail for the position of top prodigy. That person was Han. Eventually, they became friends and began hanging out together, but unfortunately for her, that was the extent of their relationship- just friends. Now that she was close to him again, she thought about taking their relationship to the next level, but she was unsure of how to go about it. While alone in her room one day, she came up with the idea of taking him out to dinner and just making it up as she went along.

After they had ordered their meals, Carolyn took the opportunity to start up a casual conversation, keeping the topics light at the beginning. “So, Han, how come you didn’t get the full cosmetic fix to your injury?” she asked.

“Cosmetics weren’t covered in the medical bill, so anything extra was coming out of my pocket. Besides, it’s a constant reminder of my mistakes that day,” said Han.

“Oh, I see. And the mask?” asked Carolyn.

“So, I don’t cause any discomfort or uneasiness amongst my peers and students,” said Han.

They continued to chat idly while they waited for their food, talking about their jobs and assignments after they graduated from OTS. All throughout their conversation, Carolyn could sense that Han was getting more and more insecure or frustrated, but she couldn’t tell which. Once they had their food in front of them, she hesitated to move or say anything. Han just sat across from her, looking at her with confusion as he picked up his fork.

Carolyn glanced away from her plate and looked up at Han. “Hey, Han, there’s been something I want to tell you…,” she said.

Before Carolyn could continue, Han interrupted and stopped her. “No. Stop. I know what you’re doing,” he said as he looked to her.

“…huh?” asked Carolyn, a bit confused.

“I know you’ve had a crush on me since we first met in the academy, and that you offered to have dinner to finally express your feelings for me,” said Han.

Carolyn was completely shocked that Han had her figured out. “Y- You did? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” she asked.

“As much as you want it to be, the feeling just isn’t mutual. I only continued to be friends with you back then because you never advanced things. If you’d had, I would’ve said something and deescalated things, but you never did, so I kept the status quo, and I was fine with that,” said Han.

“So why isn’t the feeling mutual? You don’t find me attractive?” asked Carolyn.

“No. You are… in your own way, but…,” said Han before growing silent.

“But you’re already seeing someone, am I right?” asked Carolyn.

“Was. You remember Prodigy Cobb?” asked Han.

“Cobb? Oh, Nikki Cobb? You mean to tell me you were with Prowl from Team Solace? Wait- oh…,” said Carolyn, looking down at her plate and finally connecting all the dots. “That’s why you volunteered to go in after Hammerstein. Your girlfriend needed your help.”

“No, not my girlfriend,” said Han.

“No?” asked Carolyn.

“…she was my fiancé,” said Han.

Immediately, Carolyn’s heart sank after hearing Han’s words. She was responsible for the death of her crush’s fiancé as well as his life-changing injury. She felt absolutely horrible that her actions continued to affect so many people, something she hadn’t fully realized until that incident. “Your… fiancé?” she asked.

“I met her during OTS. Both our schools were near each other, and we met one day while we were on leave. After that, we started seeing each other and started dating, eventually getting engaged,” said Han.

“Fuck me, I am so sorry, Han. I had no idea that she was your fiancé when I was on that mission,” said Carolyn, beginning to tear.

“Regardless of whether she was my fiancé or not, you should treat all your fellow peers with the utmost respect and concern, especially your subordinates. Now, I can’t forgive you for what you did, even though it wasn’t directly your fault. I acknowledge that. But I hope we can still remain friends. I know you, and I know it was just in your nature, no matter how much I want to deny it. So… no hard feelings?” he asked, outstretching his hand to shake hers.

Carolyn cheeks were soaked with tears as she looked at his hand. She shakily brought her hand up and gave his hand a firm shake. “Yeah, no hard feelings…”


End file.
